How many times can you have a profound videogame experience? Which ones can be repeated? Before it all goes hollow.

Here’s Anor Londo, drowned. Here’s the Palace of Boletaria, overgrown. The sequel as remix. Except shallower, to be toured rather than inhabited, built by level designers instead of architects.

Here are more bosses, here is more death. The sequel as more. More environments, segmented by more bonfires, cluttered with more enemies at once. And less memorable. With less character. Less soul.

Dark Souls 2 is a decent enough sequel. And I do not accept the premise of the videogame sequel.